


Linger Till Dawn

by Aeres_Oswald



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Actually the whole thing is a bit gritty, Canon Divergence, F/M, Kidnapping, Non-Consensual Drug Use, Really gritty in the beginning, Tim/Lucy pairing but no real romance because he’s still her TO, i wrote the first bit in December but didn’t post it because I’m a pansy, idk how to write crime, tw throw up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-23
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22869847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeres_Oswald/pseuds/Aeres_Oswald
Summary: Lucy has been taken and the team rushes to find her.
Relationships: Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 7
Kudos: 104





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So I wrote this last month and then abandoned it. But I decided to quickly finish it and post it today. So there are some filler scenes that aren't super great and I had no beta, so forgive any errors. I couldn't read into it too much because then I'd want to make a billion more changes. So I'm nervous to post it, but I'm taking the plunge.  
> If I had seen all the previews before I wrote this I would have changed a lot.

Lucy struggled to breathe. She felt like if she didn’t concentrate her breathing would stop altogether. Her head was pounding, her heart felt like it was going to beat through her chest. She tried to recall her academy training on what to do in a self hostage situation but her thoughts were blurred, the memories out of focus. Everything was out of focus. Her arms were uncomfortably stretched above her, she tried to move them but zip ties dug deep into her wrists.

A wave of nausea swept over her. She let out an involuntary cry before gagging on vomit. She felt herself being rolled onto her side to keep from choking. Her ears rang, everything sounded like static, she faintly heard muffled voices. She opened her eyes just enough to see someone looming over her. Her mind was trying to put the night together.

She hazily remembered meeting him at a bar, but everything else was gone. “Caleb?” she croaked.

“Oof. Looks like I gave you a little too much. A little more, and you probably wouldn’t have woken up at all.” He gave her a sickening smile “And that would have taken all the fun out of it.”

“What–where…” She struggled to speak, let alone form a coherent thought. Her throat burned and her tongue felt foreign in her mouth.

Fingers prodded her ribs and fire erupted through her body. “Sorry. Did that hurt?” He asked, almost sounding sincere. “I have to finish this up.”

Lucy remembered the tattoos found on the bodies they had found, the thought sickened her. “No.” she protested faintly, trying to move her torso away from him. 

“Normally, I would have finished this before you woke up, but your friends found my cabin.” He said in a sharp tone. “So I had to pack everything up and find somewhere else to go. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was worth it.” A buzzing filled the air. Lucy cried out as soon as the needles jabbed into her skin. She fought the losing battle to stay conscious and darkness quickly consumed her.

__________________________________________

“Mornin’” Jackson greeted John, walking into the briefing room. “I heard about Bryan Coleman. That’s crazy. We’re basically starting from scratch again.” 

John nodded “It’s gonna be a rough day for sure. Did you ride with Lucy?” 

“No.” Jackson’s face reddened “Stirling dropped me off.” 

“Ooh, you guys are getting serious.” John teased.

“Nah, we’re trying to take it slow. But, he has  _ the  _ coolest place. You guys’ll have to come hang out sometime. What’d you do last night?”

Nolan inhaled heavily. “Armstrong and I went out for a few drinks. He’s having a hard time with this.”

“That’s understandable.”

John glanced towards the door. “Roll call is in 5 minutes and Lucy still isn’t here, I don’t think she’s ever been late before.”

“It’s been a hard couple of days, and she had a date. She probably stayed out too late.” Jackson answered as they sat at the table. “I’ll shoot her a text.” 

John shook his head, “I don’t even want to think about the kind of torture Grey will put her through.”

The briefing room quickly filled with officers. Tim walked up planting his feet in front of John and Jackson, arms crossed. “Where’s my boot?” He asked.

The two rookies shrugged and exchanged looks. “We don’t know. Maybe she slept in? It’s been a long couple of days.” John offered. 

Tim pursed his lips. “She’s gonna be running sprints for a month if she isn’t here in the next 60 seconds.” He said, shaking his head.

Sargent Grey walked to the front of the room and gripped the podium. The mood in the room quickly shifted. “There is no good news today,” he said matter of factly. “Our lead on the killer came to an abrupt stop when we found Bryan Coleman’s body buried under the cabin yesterday evening.” He looked up, gazing across the room. His brow furrowed falling on the empty chair next to Jackson and John. “Where is Officer Chen?”

“We don’t know. She hasn’t answered my text yet but she’s probably stuck in traffic. I’m sure she’s close.” Jackson answered.

Grey shook his head and shot a look at Tim. “I’ll call her.” He said, annoyance lacing his words as he stood to leave. 

Tim pulled out his phone, calling Lucy. It immediately went to voicemail. “Where the hell are you Chen? Do you want to be doing desk duty for the next month?” He waited for a few seconds. “Unbelievable.”

He called again, and again it went straight to voicemail. “If you’re not here in 10 minutes, I’m breaking your door down and dragging you here.” Tim sighed, he couldn’t believe Lucy was pulling this, today of all days. 

“She didn’t answer,” He said walking back into the room. “I’ll call her again in a few after the meeting.”

Grey sighed heavily. “We need all hands on deck. They most likely already have the next victim and we have nothing to go on. Based on the pattern, whoever they have doesn’t have long.”

John raised his hand slowly “But we found the site, the pattern is already broken.”

Grey nodded his head. “And that’s going to make our job that much harder. They'll have changed location, but hopefully that will make them sloppy and make mistakes. West, Lopez is taking a personal day, so you’ll be going over evidence from the cabin. Nolan and Harper, you’ll be working with Armstrong since Rosalind has taken a liking to Office Nolan. Bradford… Just find Chen and report back when you do.”

Tim stood in the hall as his coworkers went their separate ways. He dialed his phone again, putting it to his ear. “You better have a damn good reason for being late.”

__________________________________________

The sharp ringing in her ears subsided as she came to. Groggily she opened her eyes, a small sense of relief hit when her eyes came into focus this time. The drugs were definitely still in her system. 

Light spilled through a faded curtain, letting Lucy know it was day. 

Dull grimy wallpaper plastered the room, curled edges revealed yellowed walls where the glue had aged. The empty room seemed to engulf her. 

She pulled hard on her restraints, pleasantly surprised by the amount of give her left hand had. Her wrist rubbed raw as she pulled and twisted her hand trying to break free. She clenched her jaw, breathing through her nose heavily trying to push through the pain. She could feel the zip tie on her palm, so close to getting out. With as much strength as she could muster she jerked her hand down hard. A burning sensation flared as her hand squeezed free of the zip tie. 

She took a moment to breathe and examine her scuffed up hand. Using her elbow she tried to sit up, but it felt like her entire body was buried in sand, compressing her limbs and chest. Straining, she pulled herself upright. She dug her nail into the front of the zip tie, trying to manipulate the locking mechanism. Finally her nail hooked onto the plastic and she pulled up, she easily pulled her other hand free. 

Her ribs ached. Hesitantly, she lifted her shirt revealing today’s date tattooed and bloody on her side. Shaking, she let her shirt down, trying to suppress the panic attack starting to take over. Lucy took deep breaths, she needed to stay collected if she was going to have any chance to escape. 

Slowly, Lucy pushed herself off the bed. Her legs gave out but quickly she latched onto the bedpost, steadying herself. Taking a deep breath she slowly made her way towards the door. The handle clicked as soon as she turned it. Lucy let out a shaky breath, trying to gain composure. She turned to the window, praying it would open. Hesitantly, she grabbed the curtain and threw it open. 

The window was barred. Nausea rolled over her and her breath quickened as dread overwhelmed her. Frantically she looked around the empty room looking for something, anything, she could use to defend herself. She grabbed each bar of the head board, trying to pry one free with no luck. 

Her gaze drifted out the window, watching the birds fly and the clouds drift by. As her vision blurred with tears she shook her head trying to rid the feeling that this would be the last time she would see the outside. She tilted her head up to stop the tears. If she started, she wouldn’t stop and she couldn’t afford that. The curtain rod came into focus as her eyes cleared. An old brass rod brandished with blunt decorative ends. If she could reach it, she could use it. 

She stood on her tiptoes, barely lifting the curtain rod off its hooks. Determined, she reached up and with a small hop she knocked it down. She was happily surprised at how heavy it was. After tearing the curtain off she swung it around a few times, getting a feel of the weight. 

The creaking sound of a door opening startled her and she scampered to the side of the door, pressing herself against the wall.

As the door opened Lucy swung the rod down hard. He collapsed as it connected with his shoulder. She brought the rod down once more and squeezed by as Caleb groaned, trying to push himself up from the floor.

Breathing heavily, she stumbled into the hallway, forcing herself to run down the hall, desperate for an exit **.** She turned into the empty kitchen and skidded towards the door. Just as her fingers brushed the handle she was shoved against the door, the curtain flew from her hand, clattering across the room. She threw her elbow back, and Caleb’s grip on her eased. She turned around, curling her hand in a fist and brought it to his chin. He grunted and threw her to the ground. Disoriented, she rolled over trying to get her bearings straight. Caleb was on top of her, grabbing at her wrists, using his momentum she yanked her arm forward, sending him to the ground. She scrambled to her hands and knees, crawling towards the rod, but Caleb was faster. He jumped to his feet and delivered a swift kick to Lucy’s ribs causing her to curl into the fetal position, gasping for air. 

“That was really stupid.” He said scooping her up and carrying her into the bedroom. He threw her on the bed and pulled a zip tie out of his back pocket. “I have some things I need to do before we’re done here. So I need you to stay put.” He grabbed her wrists, pulling them together, and pulling the zip tie as tight as it would go.

Lucy struggled against him, as he tied her ankles together, but she felt tired. So tired. She didn’t have the strength to keep fighting. 

__________________________________________

Tim’s phone buzzed and he grabbed it putting it to his ear. “Chen, you better be calling to tell me you just pulled in.” He was met with silence. “Chen? Can you hear me? Hello?” he glanced at his phone, making sure the call was still going, he pressed the phone to his ear again, trying to listen for any background noise. “Sargent,” Tim called down the hall.

“What’s up?” Grey asked

“It’s Chen.”

“Does she need to talk to me?” 

“I don’t know, she’s not answering.” he said, handing Grey the phone. 

Grey lifted the phone to his ear listening for a moment. “Officer Chen, are you there?” He furrowed his brow. “Did you call her or—” 

Tim shook his head. “She called me.” He swallowed hard. “If it’s alright, I'd like to check her apartment.” 

“Let’s talk to Jackson first.” He said, still holding the phone to his ear. He motioned for Tim to follow him as they walked. Grey called down the hall, beckoning Jackson over. ”Have you seen or heard from Lucy this morning?” 

“No.” Jackson cleared his throat “I was at a friend’s house late and stayed over. Is everything okay?”

“Did she tell you where she was going last night?” Tim asked, ignoring Jackson’s question.

“She went out on a date, said she’d probably be back late.” 

Grey folded his arms, “You’re going with Bradford to your apartment. Update me immediately. Tim, I’m taking your phone to analytics.”

“What’s going on?” Jackson asked. 

“We don’t know. Could be nothing.” Grey answered. 

Tim started walking down the hall “I’ll tell you on the way.” 

__________________________________________

Jackson unlocked the door. Everything was in order, nothing turned over or gone through. “Lucy?” Jackson called out. No answer. 

“Where’s her room?” Tim asked. Jackson pointed him to the door on the left. “Check the windows to see if they’ve been tampered with.” he instructed. 

Tim watched his shaky hand grip the cold door handle. He hesitated, feeling like he was breaking boundaries. He pushed that thought away and opened the door. 

The room was vibrant and welcoming, a soft floral scent lingered in the air. Her bed was neatly made, a small pile of folded clothes lay on the edge of the bed, waiting to be put away. Pictures framed the mirror on her dresser and he was taken aback that he was in more than one. Tim stared at the uniform hanging up on the mirror, 

“She’s not here.” Jackson mumbled, startling Tim, pulling him from his thoughts.

“No.” He responded roughly, pushing his way past Jackson. “What bar did she say she went to?” Tim asked.

Jackson pulled out his phone, quickly scrolling through texts. “She didn’t, but she likes The Fox Den, it’s a few blocks away. She might have suggested to meet there.” 

“Let’s go.”

__________________________________________

Lucy’s unmistakable orange Datsun sat in the parking lot.

A chill went up Tim’s spine as he pulled the shop next to her car. “Maybe.. maybe she just spent the night at his house...” Jackson stammered as they exited the vehicle.

Tim’s eyes were drawn to keys glimmering on the asphalt, his chest tightened and numbness crawled down his limbs. Slowly he bent down and grasped the keys, gripping them in his fist. “Call Sargent Grey and gimme your phone.” He snapped at West, who quickly obliged.

Jackson shoved his phone into Tim’s hand “This is Bradford. Lucy’s car is at The Fox Den off 8th West and Wilshire...” He paused. “And it doesn’t look like she got home last night.”

Neither of the men spoke on the drive to the precinct.

__________________________________________

Grey entered the briefing room alongside Tim and Jackson, their faces’ pale. He looked around the room at his officers who were anxiously waiting to hear whatever news had pulled them from their assignments and parole.This part of the job never got easier, relaying upsetting news. He reminded himself that this could have a happy ending.

He folded his arms as he sighed looking at the floor. “There is no easy way to say this, but we have reason to believe Officer Lucy Chen is missing.” Grey felt the tension in the room spike. He clicked the remote and a grainy image of Caleb’s face flashed onto the screen. “This is Caleb Wright. Officer Chen was last with him at a bar last night, and she has not been seen or heard from since, and her car was found in the parking lot. Caleb approached her at a bar 3 days ago and later came to the precinct to give her his contact info. All social media of his has since been deleted. ”

Grey shot a glance at Tim, his head hanging down. He hit the remote again, security footage played on screen. “Unfortunately the parking lot isn’t visible on any cameras, but we have footage of them in the bar walking out together at 10:34 PM, and this car turning onto the street at 10:37. But this car was reported stolen 2 months ago by Carmela Hernandez.”

A map pulled up on the screen. “Tim received a phone call from her around 10:45 this morning, but her end was silent. We could only get an approximate location,” He referenced the map. “Northwest of LAX. This neighbourhood is all but empty. You’ve each been given an area to sweep. Anything, and I mean anything, suspicious you are to call me.”

John hesitantly put his hand up. “Do you think--” he paused. “Do you think our serial killer could have her?”

“We don’t know anything at this point, but it’s a very real possibility. Night Shift has been called in to help with patrol and aid Detective Armstrong along with Harper and Nolan. We have officers at the bar as we speak and both Caleb and Lucy’s images have been sent to all the surrounding precincts. We will find her.” Grey ended. “Dismissed.” 

__________________________________________

Tim loaded the war bag into the trunk, pausing before closing it. 

_ “You need to go blow off some steam after a shift.”  _ The words echoed through his mind.  _ “Give your brain a different focus...”  _

_ “So as my training officer, you’re saying I should go get a drink?” _

_ “A strong one. Maybe even with another human.”  _

The memory haunted him. He had encouraged her to go out, practically hand delivered her into this situation. His last words to her couldn’t be sending her to her death.

“Tim.” Lopez called startling him, “You’re with me today.” 

Startled he spun around. “Angela? I thought you were--Why aren’t you at home?” 

She shot him a look. “Really? Are you kidding me? You think I’m going to sit at home while Lucy is missing?”

“But Wesley--”

“Practically pushed me out the door when Grey called. So save it. I want to be here.” she said. “I’m driving though.” she quipped. 

He slowly nodded his head, closed the trunk, and without protest walked around to the passenger side. 

“You wanna talk about it?” Angela asked, pulling the car in reverse. 

Tim stared at his feet and subtly shook his head. “Let’s just go.” 

__________________________________________

Tim kicked down another door in the apartment building, and ran through the small abandoned space, checking each room for something that could lead them to Lucy. 

“Nothing here.” he heard Angela call out from another apartment. They had made their way up to the second floor and he was getting angrier with every door he kicked in. He was fairly certain she wasn’t here but as much as he wanted to move on to their next building assignment, he couldn’t chance it. 

“Lopez, Bradford.” Grey’s voice came through Tim’s walkie talkie. “We’re at 5332 w 93rd Street. You may want to get over here.”

Tim and Angela pulled up to a fenced off pink stucco house, every window barred. The scene was already teeming with officers. A chill ran up his spine as he geared up for the worst. He pushed past the door spotting Grey in the hallway. 

“She’s not here.” Grey said, as if he knew what was on Tim’s mind. “Her phones on the bed in this room.” he said pointing ahead of him. 

Blood pounded in his ears as he walked into the room. A bed sat in the corner, a little evidence tag placed by Lucy’s phone and another tag by a wet stain on the mattress. Tim stared at the zip-ties still looped on the frame, pride heavy with fear swelled inside him, knowing she had gotten free of her restraints. 

Pictures of Lucy were plastered on the wall. He recognized photos she had shown him from her instagram, unnerving photos of all of them with Lucy, and worst of all, images of her unconscious with a tattoo branded on her ribs.

The color drained from his face as he realized who had taken her. He numbly followed Angela into the kitchen. Years of dust build up made it all too easy to see the fight that had taken place. He was proud of the fight she put up, but hoped it hadn’t gotten her killed.

__________________________________________

Everyone sat in stunned silence letting the news sink in after Nick hung up the phone. John’s heart felt heavy and he flicked his eyes down the hall where Rosalind was, anger flared inside him. She had done this. He stood, his chair flying out behind him. 

“Where are you going?” Nick asked as John walked away. 

“I’m going to talk to Rosalind.” He said flatly. 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. She wants to get in our heads. John!” Armstrong called as he followed him. “John, don’t--”

John burst through the door of the questioning room, Nick right behind him.

“Uh oh. Looks like someone is mad.” Rosalind smiled. 

John’s nostrils flared breathing heavy. “Where is she?” He asked through gritted teeth. 

“Looks like the boy scout is angry.” she teased.

John stared her down. “Where is she?” 

“If you want me to tell you, I’m going to need you to give me something.”

“You’re not getting anything right now.” he clenched his jaw. “So I’ll ask you one more time. Where is Lucy?” He asked again, emphasizing each word. 

“I can’t tell you where she is. But I can tell you why.” She gave a coy smile, “Taking one officer’s loved one is too cliche.” Rosalind mused “It doesn’t truly affect everyone. Sure, your coworkers would be upset and sympathetic that one of your family members was taken, but it stops there. No deeper emotions, the anxiety and the self-questioning doesn’t hit them. They aren’t wondering what they could have done differently, what they could have noticed, or what their last words were. Now take someone like Lucy...” She smiled. “Everyone here is connected to her, and you’re all in a sort of shock and I get to watch everyone unravel.” John glowered at her, his anger rising.

“Nick transferring did have us worried that our plan wouldn’t be quite as impactful, but you, John, you were our saving grace. You welcomed him with open arms, and it was truly beautiful to watch all of you become friends with him. Lucy was the obvious choice from the beginning.”

“Come on John.” Nick said, holding the door open. “This is useless. She’s just going to rile you up.” 

Wordlessly John followed and stormed off down the hall. Harper followed after him “Nolan. Stop. Get it together.” 

He whirled around “How do you just not care?”

Harper sighed. “I never said that, but I’ve lost a lot of good people in the field. It’s always hard. But being angry and emotional isn’t going to get us anywhere.” 

“This really doesn’t affect you.” he stated bitterly

  
“Look,” she said, her tone softening. “I like Chen. I didn’t think she had what it takes but she proved me wrong. She is a damn good cop. But if all of us got as worked up as you are right now, we couldn’t do our jobs. I hope she’s alive, and if she is, we only have a few hours to find her. So you need to pull yourself together. Go cool off.”

John headed towards the break room, but spied Jackson in the briefing room staring at the board. He walked in and gave Jackson’s shoulder a light squeeze. “How are you holding up?” 

Jackson gave a pitiful laugh, shaking his head. “You?”

“I’m angry.” John said. “And scared.”

“Did Rosalind say anything?” Jackson asked. 

“No, and she isn’t going to.”

The two of them stared at the board, taking in the evidence and photos that had been put up. Finally Jackson spoke. “If I had just gone home last night, we would have known sooner.” he looked at his watch. “It’s almost 1, she’s been missing for 15 hours already. She could already be dead.” 

“Don’t say that. This isn’t your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault except for Caleb and Rosalind.” He said before sternly adding. “And she’s alive. I know she’s alive. We’ll find her.” 

There was a quiet knock on the door, “You guys busy? Could I borrow John for a bit?” Nick asked, poking his head in the door. John nodded and gave Jackson’s shoulder another squeeze before he followed Nick out.

“There’s a third guy involved.” Armstrong said walking to his desk. 

“How do you know?” John asked.

Nick picked up photos taken at the house. “Look--” He handed a photo to Nolan pointing out two of the muddy footprints on the floor. “Those are two different sets of footprints.” 

“Are you sure it’s not Lucy’s?” he asked. 

“These are nearly the same size. Her footprints..” He grabbed another photo. “...are right here. You can see the size difference.”

“Who else...” John trailed off. 

“I’ve been so caught up in trying to find the connection between Caleb and Rosalind. I didn’t even consider there could be another person.” 

John wracked his brain, trying to come up with any explanation. “You said all her communication was heavily monitored. Is there a way we can find out what guards were around her the most? She’s not in general population, so her contact would be cut down, wouldn’t it? If she’s getting information out, maybe one of them is in on it.” 

Nick lifted his eyebrows, taking in the words John had said. “You think a guard did it? That’s a serious accusation...” He trailed off, eyes still out of focus. “But, you may be right.”

“But why would they help her?” John wondered aloud. “Why would  _ anyone _ help her?” 

“Money.” Nick said plainly. “She was an extremely successful business partner, I think her lack of emotion really helped her there, but if there is one thing she has it’s money. Can I have you get a list of her regular guards and cross reference that with banking statements?” 

“Sure.” John replied. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to find the connection between Caleb and Rosalind. I don’t think she’d let just anyone work with her.”

__________________________________________

Tim and Angela stopped at their usual spot for lunch. Angela insisted they stop, It was going to be a long day, and starving wouldn’t help. Both of them pushed their food around on their plates, hardly eating. 

“How’s Wesley?” Tim asked, watching Angela scan the crowd. 

“Not good.” She said flatly. “And I don’t know how to help him.” 

Tim nodded his head, knowing that helplessness all too well. “If you need anything, I’m happy to help.” He said. 

“Thanks.” She gave a small pursed smile. “Talk to me. Something else is going on.” She prodded. 

Tim shook his head and stared at his plate, “This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t pushed her to go out.” He said finally. 

  
“What do you mean? This isn’t your fault.”

“She wanted to go home, but I--” His voice caught in his throat. “I told her to go out and get a drink. If I hadn’t suggested that she wouldn't've--” 

“You know that’s not true.” Angela cut him off. “If this has been in the works for months like Rosalind claims, he could’ve been following her for weeks.”

Tim shot her a look. “That doesn’t make me feel better.”

“Yeah, me either.” She sighed. “We’ll find her.” 

“And if we don’t?”

“No. Don’t even go there.” Angela sat for a moment. “She’s going to hold out for as long as possible.”

__________________________________________

Lucy was she was leaning against something hard, her knees were practically touching her chest, and her entire body ached. She tried to open her eyes multiple times before realizing they were open. 

She reached out into the darkness, but her arms didn’t make it far. She ran her hands around the inside of the barrel she knew she was in. “No no no no.” She cried, reaching her hands up banging them against the lid. Using as much force as she could she pounded her fists against it repeatedly. 

Crying out she continued to hit the lid with less and less force each time. Defeated, her face fell into her hands as her body wracked with sobs. Her breathing became erratic as reality heavily set in. Logically, she knew she needed to calm down to preserve oxygen, but she was having a difficult time controlling herself. She inhaled deeply through her nose and let out a long shaky breath.

In for 4. Hold for 7. Out for 8. Repeat. 

Slowly she regained control as she rocked back and forth. The darkness itself was suffocating. Her mind was racing, trying to think of something in her training that could help her in this situation. As much as she wanted to keep yelling for help, she knew it would be useless. Wherever she was would be isolated. 

She closed her eyes; it was a more comfortable darkness. She imagined sitting on the dock of her favourite lake, watching the sun reflect off the water, and feeling the cool breeze on her face--she already felt so hot, dehydration setting in.

She started taking shallow breaths knowing it would extend her air supply and give her friends time to find her. _ If they found her _ .

__________________________________________

Grey walked into the observation room and stood next to Tim. They stared Rosalind down through the monitor. She sat, singing like nothing was amiss. “I spoke with Hernandez, County guards should be here soon to escort Ms. Dyer back to prison.” Grey said gently.

“She’s going back already?” 

“We think it’s best if she’s not here. We don’t want her near our people. How are you holding up?”

Tim rubbed his face, just shaking his head in response. “I wish people would stop asking that. Is anyone okay right now?” 

Grey nodded his head. “No, you’re right. But Angela told me what happened, I know you’re feeling the brunt of this.” Grey’s phone pinged and he grabbed it out of his pocket, reading the message. “Transport is here. Let’s go.”

__________________________________________

“Hernandez.” Grey grasped his hand, shaking it firmly. “And...?” He questioned looking at the other man. 

“Officer Eric Reed.” He said, quickly shaking Grey’s hand. 

“There’s just two of you? What happened to the calvary you used to bring her in?” Grey asked. 

“Yeah....” Sargent Hernandez paused. “There was a big fight at the prison, lots of the guards were needed there. But we have a team ready for when we get back.” 

Grey drew his brows together studying Hernandez, something felt off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. “Okay. I’ll get some of my people to help prep her for transport.” he said, opening the door.

“I won’t need too much help, just need to secure her.” 

“Isn’t he coming?” Grey asked, nodding toward Eric. 

“Um.” Hernandez hesitated. “No. He’s getting the van ready.”

Again, uneasiness settled in Grey’s stomach. “Okay.”

“I heard about Officer Chen.” Hernandez said sympathetically. “Any leads on where she could be?” 

“No.” Grey said flatly, leading Hernandez to the interrogation room. “Rosalind is in here.” 

__________________________________________

Tim met them in the hallway, disdain visible on his face. 

“Officer Bradford,” Rosalind called as they wheeled out. “How are you today? You look a little stressed.” Tim clenched his jaw, staring ahead as they walked down the hall. “Not very talkative are you?” Rosalind looked around at everyone. “Well I’ve had a nice time. It’s been refreshing to have a change of scenery.”

“This wasn’t a vacation for you.” Nick retorted, opening the door to the garage. “And now, your offer is off the table.” 

“I think you’ll come around Nick.” She smirked. 

“That’s enough.” Hernandez said, cutting in. He motioned for Officer Reed to take the chair. 

Tim watched as Officer Reed pulled his hat down firmly as he took ahold of Rosalind’s transfer chair, wheeling her onto the lift. Something about him seemed familiar. Tim’s eyes made contact with him, and he quickly turned away. But Tim recognized him instantly, he felt the blood rush to his face. “You son of a bitch.”

Caleb took off in a full sprint, pushing past Sargent Grey and bursting through the side door of the garage.

Tim sprung after him, he saw a glimpse of Caleb turning the corner. Tim pushed himself to go faster, quickly he caught up with Caleb. Lunging forward,Tim tackled him to the pavement. Tim rolled him over pinning him in place. He curled his hand into a fist and struck Caleb’s face. Caleb struggled to get out from under Tim, he shoved the palm of his hand against Tim’s chin, pushing him off balance. Caleb used this time to kick him off and scramble to stand. Tim reached out grabbing onto his collar, distinctly hearing the sharp rip of the fabric. Caleb spun around, his fist connecting with Tim’s brow. Pain flared up on the left side of his face, disorienting him for a moment. Tim wiped the blood now streaming down his face, trying to keep it out of his eye. Caleb was running again. Tim launched into a run, ignoring his pounding head. He grabbed onto Caleb’s arm and threw himself and Caleb to the ground.

Caleb threw his elbow back hitting Tim in the jaw. Instinctively, Tim let go of him. The metallic taste of blood spread through Tim’s mouth. “Where did you take her?” He snarled, pulling his fist back, repeatedly punching Caleb in the face. “Where is she?” He struggled against the arms pulling him back.

“What the hell are you doing, Tim?” Grey shouted, grappling with Tim.

“That’s him.” He heaved, spitting out blood. “That’s Caleb.” 

Two officers ran forward grabbing ahold of Caleb and hauling him back to the precinct. 

“You’re sure?” Grey asked. 

“Yeah.” Tim said as he shrugged out of Sargent Grey’s grip. “I’m sure.”

They rushed back to the garage that was now buzzing with officers. Rosalind and Hernandez were already gone. Tim ran ahead, catching up with the men restraining Caleb. 

“What are you doing?” Grey called out. 

“I’m gonna proccess him.” 

“No you’re not.” Grey answered as he looked Tim up and down. “Go clean yourself up. That’s an order.” 

Tim stalked off to the break room, he grabbed a chair and fell into it placing his head in his hands. The warmth of his hand seared the cut on his eyebrow. He inhaled sharply, “Goddammit.” he winced and pulled his hand away, smearing the blood on his pant leg. 

“That looks like it needs stitches.” Angela said from the doorway. 

“It’s fine.” Tim snapped. Angela held out a box of tissues. “Thanks.” he mumbled while ripping one from the box. His hand trembled as he pressed it to his eye, the pain flaring up again.

Angela opened a cupboard and grabbed a first aid kit, she dragged a chair next to him. “Lemme see it.” 

Tim leaned back. “You’re not giving me stitches.”

“Relax, I’m just going to tape it so it doesn’t keep opening.” Angela worked meticulously, being as gentle as she could. “There.” 

“Thanks.” Tim mumbled. 

“You know, she’s changed you.” Tim shook his head in protest, but she continued. “You can deny it, but you know it’s true. She is breaking down your walls. Ever since Isabel you--”

“I don’t want to talk about this.” 

“You may not want to, but I think you need to hear it. All of your rookies have become great cops, but none of them pushed you like she has. She doesn’t put up with your crap and isn’t afraid to call you out, and no one has done that except Isabel. I’ve tried, but it’s not the same. She just gets you.” 

__________________________________________

Grey entered the room eyes darting between Caleb and his lawyer.

“Where did you take my Officer?” Grey demanded through clenched teeth.

“You don’t have to answer that.” His lawyer jumped in. 

Grey struggled to keep his act together. “We have footage of your car pulling out of the bar parking lot. We know you met with Lucy there from texts she sent to her roommate.”

Caleb stayed silent, a small smile on his lips. 

“But you have no footage of him with Lucy.”

Grey gripped the chair harder, “We already have him on impersonating an officer. You’re already going to jail, and if we don’t find Officer Chen alive you _will_ be given the death penalty.”

“Hey hey, no this is intimidation.” the lawyer snapped. “You still have no solid evidence.”

“Detective Armstrong is talking with Hernandez right now. Do you really think he’s not going to go for a deal?”

__________________________________________

“So, Sargent Hernandez,” Nick said sitting across from him. “When did you start working with Caleb and Rosalind?” 

Hernandez shook his head. “I’m not, me and the new guy just got asked to pick up Rosalind.” he said plainly. 

“Do you want to rethink that statement?” Nick asked. Hernandez shook his head again. “I just want to show you something really quick.” He pulled out a phone, opening up voicemail. “This is a message Sargent Grey got just a little before you guys pulled up.”

He pressed play. “ _ This is Warden Hawkins, we had an issue come up in one of our blocks. The transfer team will be later than anticipated.”  _

“He decided he could spare the two of us. Like I said before this whole ordeal, we had a team waiting for when we got there.” 

Nick raised his brow, looking quizzically at the man. “That’s interesting because I called the Warden, and he didn’t authorize it. You’re not even supposed to be working today. And the real Eric Reed is on sick leave for another month.” Nick inhaled heavily and pulled some papers out of the folder on the table. “Looking at your bank records, you were on the cusp of losing your house. Until you suddenly started receiving $3,000 every month.”

“That’s from my brother.” He said quickly. “I loaned him money to buy a house a few years ago. He’s finally getting around to paying me back.” 

“Really? Cause the account it’s coming from says its from Mr. Brent Hayes. Coincidentally, Brent only opened his account 7 months ago, and Caleb Wright is authorized to make transfers, withdraws, and deposits. So just give it up.” 

Sargent Hernandez silently glared at Nick. 

Nick pressed his hand to his eyebrows. “Do you really think they were going to let you live?” He asked. “After all this?” He leaned forward. “Rosalind doesn’t leave loose strings, and that’s exactly what you are.” 

__________________________________________

Armstrong opened the door, walking in holding a briefcase. “She’s your sister.” 

Caleb turned to Armstrong. “What?” 

Armstrong pulled a folder from his briefcase as he sat across from Caleb. “You and Rosalind. You’re siblings.” 

Caleb furrowed his brow “How--What? No I’m an only child.” he stammered.

He laid out documents in front of them. “Technically. Until your mom died 4 years ago and you learned about a sister you didn’t know you had.” he pointed to an adoption record. “After some digging, you found her.” he pulled letters out of the folder. “Here are the letters you wrote to her. And here are visitation records. You commiserated over your sad childhoods, and how things could have been different if you grew up together. You bought off Sergeant Hernandez and he got you a volunteer position at the library under a false name.” 

He leaned over, grabbing a book from his briefcase. “Lucy actually found this.” he said, pulling a folded piece of paper from the lining of the book. “Hidden substitution ciphers. This is the one you planted for us to find. A pretty good red herring.” Armstrong reached into his briefcase again, and threw down a pile of disorganized papers. “But we picked these notes up from your house. We’re missing half of the conversation, but we figured it out.” he leaned back against the chair. “Kind of sloppy work keeping those. Rosalind wouldn’t have left them, but..” He clicked his tongue. “You’re not quite as polished as she is. So tell us where Lucy is, or you and Rosalind will be on death row faster than you can blink.” 

The Lawyer opened his mouth, but Armstrong cut him off “Before you say anything, here’s the warrant.” He threw the form at the lawyer. 

Caleb stared at the papers on the table, breathing heavily through his nose. He lifted his head, eyes flicking between Armstrong and Grey. “I want both of us off death row.” he said finally. 

Armstrong shook his head. “No. She still has to hold up her end of the bargain.” 

“Then I’m not saying anything. And you’re running out of time.”

Nick looked at Grey who gave him a subtle nod. Nick ran his hands over his face. “Fine.”

“So it’s agreed?” The lawyer asked. 

“Yes.” Nick answered, disappointment heavy in his tone. “Now, where is she?”

“What time is it?” Caleb asked.

“Why?” Nick asked.

Caleb cocked his head. “Don’t you want to know if you have a chance to save her?” 

Grey glanced at his watch “It’s 6:45.”

Caleb nodded his head. “Yeah, if you hurry you might have time. Of course...that depends on how much she screamed. If she’s smart, she could be alive.” he cocked his head “And you have to take traffic into consideration...It’ll be tight.” he shot a look at Armstrong “I’m feeling kind of thirsty. Could I get a water?”

Tim burst through the door grabbing Caleb nearly dragging him over the table. “Tell us where she is you bastard.” he spat as Grey and Armstrong leapt up to pull him off Caleb.

“Bradford!” Grey barked. “Get it under control.”

Angela appeared in the doorway, and threw a water bottle to Armstrong. “Tim. C’mon. Let’s get ready to go.”

Caleb smiled as Tim begrudgingly left the room. 

  
“There’s an old cabin near Fern Canyon Trail . If you give me a map, I’ll mark it.” 

Grey placed a map on the table and stared him down. “If you lie to us and she is not there, I can promise you your time in prison will not be pleasant.”

Caleb leaned forward smiling. “You have my word.” He picked the pen up and twirled it in his fingers, then tapped the pen against his lips as he studied the map.

Finally he wrote an X on the map, Grey snatched it up as soon as the pen left the paper. He grabbed his walkie talkie speaking into it as Nick opened the door, following him out. “All available units head towards Fern Canyon Trail, approximate location is being sent out as we speak. Requesting an airship and a bus” 

__________________________________________

_ “Stars shining bright above you _

_ Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you" _

_ Birds singing in the sycamore tree _

_ Dream a little dream of me” _

Lucy sang breathlessly, trying to keep her mind off of the fact that she was dying. It wasn’t working. 

Her head pounded, streaks of light ran across her vision, and her limbs had lost feeling a long time ago. 

She hit her head against the wall, trying to stay conscious. Her friends would find her, she just needed to give them time...they’d find her.

__________________________________________

Horns honked as Tim weaved in between cars on the highway. He was followed by a dozen LAPD vehicles. He knew he was being reckless, but he didn’t care. “What time is it?” Tim asked. 

“7:23.” Lopez answered. 

Tim pressed harder on the gas. His knuckles turned white as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “How far out are we?”

“It’s just after the next turn.” Angela said, her voice tense. “We’ll get there in time.” 

The tires squealed as he turned sharply down the road, sweat beaded on his forehead, willing the car to go faster. 

“Here!” Angela said pointing at a small turnout. 

__________________________________________

_ “Stars fading but I linger on, dear _

_ Still craving your kiss _

_ I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear _

_ I’m just sayin--” _

The air caught in her throat. Lucy writhed in the bottom of the barrel, trying to move to open her airways. She knew it wouldn’t work, the air was almost gone, but she couldn’t give up. She fought to keep her eyes open. She imagined her parents and all the things she wished she had said to them. She hoped they wouldn’t be too disappointed in her. 

She thought of Jackson and John, the three of them had been like family for more than a year. She knew they would be okay, she was sad that she was going to miss out on so much with them.

And Tim. _Tim._ She was going to miss the smile he hid underneath his hardened expressions when she proved him wrong. Despite all the tests and difficult things he put her through, her confidence in herself She owed so much to him. She didn’t want to be another reason he shut people out though, she wished she could have made him proud. 

Soon Lucy couldn’t keep her eyes open. She was lulled to sleep thinking of the people she loved. 

__________________________________________

The squad pulled up to an old barn, small clusters of steel containers were piled all over the place. Tim got out, his stomach churning at the sight in front of them.

“Everyone! Get going.” Sargent Grey shouted. 

Officers rushed the scene crowbars in hand. An ambulance and EMT’s sat by ready for either outcome. No one could bring themselves to look at the black body bag folded on the gurney. 

Tim opened his 3rd container weighed down with cinder blocks, he kicked it over in frustration. His heart raced faster than he thought it possibly could as dread flooded over him. He ran his hand through his hair as the world seemed to spin around him. Breathing heavily, he scanned the area, eyes darting from barrel to barrel. 

His eyes landed on a barrel in the tree line. He sprinted towards it, bypassing other containers, praying he wasn’t passing by her. 

He shoved the crowbar under the lid, prying it open. Lucy lay curled up at the bottom, unmoving. 

  
“Hey!” He shouted, tossing his crowbar aside. “Hey, she’s here!” He reached in hooking his hands under her arms, lifting her up. John was by his side at an instant and together they lifted her limp body from her tomb. Gently they laid her on the ground as their friends kneeled around them. Her all too pale face was peppered with bruises, tear stains marked clearly on her grimy skin. 

Tim frantically placed his fingers on her neck feeling for a pulse. He was relieved that she was still warm, but his relief quickly turned to distress when he felt nothing. “No no no no.” he urged as he started compressions. “Don’t you dare die on me Chen.” He didn’t dare look her in the face. “Come on.” He urged. “Please.” 

A ragged breath escaped her blue lips and her eyes flew open. “Lucy, Lucy look at me.” Tim pleaded, holding her face. Her unfocused eyes briefly met his before fluttering shut again. His hands flew to her neck, feeling a weak erratic heartbeat. Tim barely noticed when the paramedics gently pushed him out of the way. They immediately slipped an oxygen mask on her and lifted her onto the gurney, rushing her to the ambulance. 

Time seemed to stop as Tim watched them wheel Lucy away. Faintly he heard someone call his name, he jumped as a hand clasped his shoulder. “Bradford, she’s your boot. Go with them.” Grey urged. “Nolan, West, Lopez escort them.”

__________________________________________

Grace led the officers to a private waiting room. Tension laced the air. “As you know, Officer Bradford was able to revive Lucy on site. But she hasn’t regained consciousness. We found some swelling in her brain, when she wakes up, we’ll be able to assess the full extent of brain trauma. That’s what we’re most worried about. She tried to give a comforting smile. “In about 30 minutes you can visit her in the ICU if you want.” 

“What are her chances?” John asked hesitantly.

Grace pursed her lips and sighed. “This is a case by case situation. If she wakes up within the next 24 hours, she’ll have a much higher chance of a full recovery.”

“And if she doesn’t?” West asked. 

“We’ll get to that if it comes to it.” She pursed her lips and gave them a curt nod. “I’ll come get you when she’s ready.”

A heavy silence hung in the room. Tim kept replaying finding her in his mind, feeling all of the fear and anxiety when he thought she was dead. 

Angela was the first to speak. “I uh, I need to go check on Wesley. I’ll be back, but call me if there’s an update.” She reached out pulling Tim into a hug. “She’s gonna be okay. She’s strong.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the smallest update. I have more coming, but I wanted to add something at least.

Tim waited outside the door, unable to bring himself to walk in. John and Jackson had already left after sitting with her for a while, but he stood planted in the hall. Through the window he could see her hooked up to countless machines working to keep her alive. Guilt weighed him down. He was sick of everyone telling him he wasn’t responsible, it didn’t change the way he felt.

Grace walked up, and stood beside him. “You should go talk to her. Some people who wake up from comas and say familiar voices were comforting. And you’re probably someone she feels safest with.” 

Tim shook his head. “I can’t go in there.” 

“I think she would prefer it over an empty hospital room.” Grace said, opening the door and holding it open for him. “Go on in. I’ll be in to check on her in a bit.”

He nodded and walked in, freezing as soon as the door closed. He stood staring at Lucy. The steady beeping of the heart rate monitor pounded in his head, assuring him with every beat that she was alive. Finally he walked forward and grabbed a chair. “Uh, hey Luce.” Tim mumbled, scooting the chair closer. “Grace said to talk to you...” He sighed heavily. “She said, maybe you can hear us or something— this is stupid.” he leaned back rubbing his neck. After a moment he spoke. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for pushing you to go out and that it took us so long to realize you were missing. If you— When you come back to work I’ll...I’ll do the paperwork for the rest of the year.” He grabbed her hand and squeezed it. “We need you to come back to us. I need you to come back...”

Tim reached into his pocket and pulled out the MP3 device Lucy had given him, put an ear bud in and pressed play. His chest panged as Lucy’s familiar voice came through, “Split Second Leadership by Curtis Philbrick. Read by the best rookie you’ve ever trained.”   
Tim leaned back and looked out the window, listening to her read and praying that he would hear her voice again.

Slowly the night faded and Tim’s head began to droop as the sun broke through the horizon.


End file.
